The APL WorldSkills UK Landscaping competition is open for registrations!

Registration for the APL WorldSkills UK Landscaping competition is now open for registration until 5 April 2019.

The WorldSkills UK Landscaping competition, run by the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), is a great opportunity for trainee landscapers to showcase their skills across a number of technical skill areas alongside planning and material management competing to be the best in the UK.

The competitors who qualify in the competition can progress through to the National Final in November, held at WorldSkills UK LIVE in Birmingham.

What is the competition about?

This competition requires trainee landscapers to showcase their skills across a number of technical skill areas, planning and material management.

There will be regional heats (four hours duration), followed by a semi-final that will consist of three days of training and testing on planting, paving, walling, timber work, lighting and water features run by industry professionals.

The competitors who qualify for the 2019 final will need to use what they have learned to individually build elements of a garden that has been pre-designed for them. The garden will be built above the ground and include timber construction, walls, lighting, paving, varying levels, turf and planting.

To be eligible to enter a WorldSkills UK Competitions, including Inclusive Skills Competitions in 2019, participants must be at least 16 years of age on 1st September 2018 and must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

Employed in the UK having completed a UK qualification in the last 12 months

Studying towards a relevant UK qualification.

Working towards an Apprenticeship in a relevant trade in the UK.

Participants’ who fall into these categories are not eligible to enter WorldSkills UK Competitions:

Gold Medal winners cannot compete in the same competition in subsequent years.

Squad UK and Team UK members forfeit their right to participate in WorldSkills UK Competitions if they sign up to join Squad UK after a Squad Selection event.

Has been employed within the industry, of the chosen skill, for more than 3 years, prior to registration.

Once you have registered, you will be notified mid-April via email where your local heat will be. This is the start of what could be a fantastic journey!

Entering World Skills 2019 gives you the chance of representing the UK at a WorldSkills 2021 in Shanghai and building in the Young Landscapers Award competition at BBC Gardeners' World Live in June 2020. Plus, many other interesting APL benefits and experiences. Being crowned as the WorldSkills Champion of 2019 puts you amongst some of the best young talent in the country.

Last week, previous WorldSkills Live competitors competed for their chance to be on Team UK and represent the United Kingdom at The WorldSkills Finals in Kazan, Russia in August (22-27). A huge congratulations to previous APL WorldSkills UK finalists Samuel Taylor, Myerscough College and Garden TLC and Shea McFerran, CAFRE and Logan Landscape, who secured their place on the team.